Kevin and Sam Sorbo on Marriage, Family, and Political Landscape of Hollywood

Sam Sorbo and Kevin Sorbo attend the 34th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner To Benefit The Buoniconti Fund To Cure Paralysis in New York City on Oct. 7, 2019. Mike Coppola/Getty Images for The Buoniconti Fund To Cure Paralysis

Kevin and Sam Sorbo stand apart from the stereotypical Hollywood family archetype. The couple sat down with The Epoch Times on May 14 for an in-depth interview to discuss their journey navigating careers, faith, and raising a family.

The couple met on the set of Mr. Sorbo’s hit series “Hercules,” where they discovered their shared life trajectory.

Homeschooling

Mrs. Sorbo outlined what she sees as a leading factor in the decline of American society: the public school system.

The decision to homeschool their three children—Braeden, Octavia, and Shane—dates back to when the couple was engaged. Mr. Sorbo developed a severe illness at the time.

“I decided that I couldn’t leave him,” Mrs. Sorbo explained. “Either I could have a marriage, a husband, and subsequently a family, or I could have my career.”

Mrs. Sorbo ultimately chose to put her prospects on hold for an equally fulfilling and challenging role: motherhood. Mr. Sorbo supported his wife’s decision to leave the entertainment business. The two chose to prioritize their family.

Mr. Sorbo divulged that the decision to homeschool their children was an easy one, as he had friends growing up who were homeschooled. Mr. Sorbo’s father was a seventh- and eighth-grade math and biology teacher.

The two described moving from Los Angeles County to Ventura County in an effort to enroll their children in a more comprehensive public school system. However, Mrs. Sorbo said it became apparent that the school did not meet their educational standards.

“I started to second guess this whole idea of school,” she said. “They weren’t doing education the way I thought education should be.”

Mrs. Sorbo has become a leading advocate for homeschooling, engaging in public speaking and authoring three books on the subject.

“You look at the controls they are having on us and the taxation without representation,” Mr. Sorbo added, noting that American taxpayers are funding the public school system. “It’s not ‘We The People’ anymore. We have a government, a godless government, and the trouble is they believe they are God.”

“We have to step away from our own brainwashing, ” Mrs. Sorbo explained, alleging that parents are conditioned to believe that every child needs a traditional school setting to learn.

“The grand bargain that we make with the government for the education of our children is a false promise,” she added.

Mr. Sorbo recalled taking Far Eastern studies, Russian studies, and American history. He remembers his school years in a positive light, with his fondest memory being his involvement in team sports.

“I do not have a memory of teachers telling me how to vote or telling me not to believe in God,” he said.

Team sports played a large part in his life, prompting him to run an after-school program within the Los Angeles Unified School District called “A World Fit For Kids” for 20 years. According to Mr. Sorbo, the nearly 12,000 children the program worked with secured a 98 percent graduation rate.

“What are we doing in those three hours after school that the school and L.A. County [are] not able to do or not willing to do?” he pondered.

‘Blacklisted’ in Hollywood

“I was never really much of a Hollywood guy,” Mr. Sorbo said, shrugging off the notion of shielding his children from the spotlight.

Mr. Sorbo said he quickly realized that Hollywood and red-carpet events had turned into an “evil business.”

“The degradation of our culture comes from our schools, where we have been taught for decades to value the dollar more than our own personal integrity,” Mrs. Sorbo lamented, pointing to the Hollywood lifestyle. “Nobody feels a sense of worth because if they’re not making money, they have no value.”

The Sorbos continue enjoying their craft as actors, hosts, and producers despite the changing politics surrounding Hollywood.

“It’s amazing to me you get blacklisted just for having a different point of view from Hollywood,” Mr. Sorbo laughed, noting that he doesn’t harbor hatred or anger for anyone who holds a different viewpoint; instead, he welcomes discussions and debates with those who have opposing political issues. “They don’t want to debate, though; they want to see who can yell louder.”

As to why nobody has taken up his offer to sit down and discuss issues dividing Democrats and Republicans, Mr. Sorbo said, “They live in a bubble.”

“When you know the truth, you can be solid in the truth,” Mrs. Sorbo added.

Leading With Truth

The couple’s faith and search for the truth have always led their decisions in their projects for the most part. However, Mr. Sorbo noted he has two comedy films he recently completed, adding that “They were just fun to do.”

He said he prefers the term “family-friendly” movies rather than “faith-based” movies. “Atheism is a faith. I think atheism is a stronger faith than what Christians have as a faith, because to believe in absolutely nothing, that’s amazing to me!”

Mr. Sorbo’s latest film, “The Firing Squad,“ released by Epoch Studios, was inspired by a true story of redemption and faith. ”I love true stories that have faith and redemption,” he said.

In the film, Mr. Sorbo portrays a convict-turned-pastor behind bars in prison. “I play a guy, an American citizen who killed a man and gets the death penalty. And during the years he [was] in prison, he found God and became a pastor, and saved many souls while he was there before he was finally executed in 2015.

“I think the world right now needs this. We’re looking for redemption,” the actor said, expressing his viewpoint on the film’s relevance in today’s world amid the ongoing struggle to safeguard the essence of America’s values.

“It’s a cultural battle in America, but it’s a spiritual and religious war as well,” he added.

The film, which co-stars Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr., is set for theatrical release on Aug. 2.

On Playing an Icon

Mr. Sorbo reminisced about his days on the set of “Hercules” and the show’s influence on its audience, noting, “For a mythological story, for a mythological character, they had a lot of very strong moral beliefs within that system.”

He fondly recalled receiving fan letters from around the globe, including from orphanages, in which individuals shared the show’s profound impact on them. The series spanned six seasons and sparked the spin-off series “Xena: Warrior Princess” and “Young Hercules,” which starred a young Ryan Gosling.

Fans of his son Braeden were thrilled when Mr. Sorbo began making cameos in Braeden’s TikTok videos. Braeden has garnered a following of over 1.5 million on the platform.

“In his defense, he developed his TikTok following early on, before anybody knew that much about it. And so he started when he was really young, ‘A Joke A Day,’ and then he started getting messages from people every day, saying, ‘I wait every day for your joke because I feel half suicidal every day.’ So then he felt compelled,” Mr. Sorbo said, noting the joy his son brings to his followers.

From Motherhood to Political Talk Show Host

Mrs. Sorbo found the transition from radio show host to political talk show host on Patriot TV, where she talks about current events. Patriot TV is a streaming service featuring Christian and conservative news and commentary shows.

“When I know the truth, I want people to know the truth. I don’t like people being lied to,” she said.

Mrs. Sorbo said she felt compelled to reach people and offer them a different outlet for information other than the mainstream media. “Right now, there is an alternative media that is competing.”

Meanwhile, Mrs. Sorbo launched a new project called the “Homeschool Gift Starter Set,” which includes DVDs and samples of books and a curriculum. It is available on sorbostudios.com.